The PCB sent a three-page legal notice to Arthur through its lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi warning Arthur against publishing the claims.

"Give your written undertaking that your biography (Taking the Mickey) will not contain such or similar libels and disparaging statements against Pakistan team or any of its members," said the legal notice, a copy of which was obtained by the AP.

Arthur was also asked to give a proposal for the payment of a "substantial sum in damages to compensate them (PCB) for the harm and distress."

Last month, Arthur told South African website News24 that his team suspected match fixing when Pakistan collapsed dramatically to lose the fifth and decisive ODI to South Africa in Lahore three years ago.

The PCB has given Arthur one week to respond to the legal notice.

Arthur told News24 that "the South African cricket team had a strong suspicion that that there was match fixing involved in a decisive one-day international against Pakistan three years ago and it took some of the gloss off the series win."

However, the PCB in its legal notice claimed the statements were made by Arthur to "sell" his biography.

Arthur conceded he had no proof of match fixing, "but when you have been involved in the game long enough, you know when something is not right."

Pakistan looked set to beat South Africa in 2007, and also clinch the

series, but slipped from a strong positions at 149-2 and 209-6 to 219 all out in pursuit of a 234-run target.

"....allegations leveled by you (Arthur) are whimsical, frivolous, defamatory, disparaging, denigrating, libelous, slanderous and derogatory,” the notice said.

The PCB has also asked Arthur to unconditionally and publicly retract his defamatory statement.